The Habitat Management Symposium is a natural areas training event created for landowners and conservation professionals performing or planning habitat improvement practices. This symposium takes place on three Tuesdays: March 16, March 23 and March 30, from 10 am to 12 pm ET and 9 to 11 am CT. Tickets are free, and registration is required to receive the event link.
● Oak-Hickory Forest Management, Chris Will (President, Central Kentucky Forest Management)
● Amphibian Habitat Management, Stephen Richter (Eastern Kentucky University Professor and Director of Division of Natural Areas)
● Nuisance Deer Management, Matt Springer (Assistant Extension Professor of Wildlife Management, University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources)
In lieu of an in-person Wildflower Weekend, the Kentucky Native Plant Society will host a virtual Wildflower Week! This will include virtual events from April 10th through April 17th, including a week-long, statewide BotanyBlitz on iNaturalist. This is an opportunity to broaden our spring wildflower scope to the entire state of Kentucky and allow us to highlight natural areas across the state! If you would like to host a virtual event at your Natural Area to be included in our Wildflower Week schedule, let us know! Events can include virtual hikes (pre-recorded or live), talks on wildflowers you can find there, or feel free to think up something fun!
Also, if you would like to be more involved in the planning process of Wildflower Week 2021, please reach out to us. We have been brainstorming ideas to make this event as interactive as possible and would greatly appreciate input from KNPS members!
On Dec. 11, 2020, KNPS held our first virtual membership meeting and botanical symposium. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Despite the pandemic year, we thought it was important to continue this event.
We had over 120 people join us online for several hours of informative presentations and interesting discussions. We know that many people wanted to join us but were unable to for various reasons. Here are all of the presentations.
Keynote Address: The Flora of the Southeastern United States – its Evolution, Exploration, and Conservation
Dr. Alan Weakley Alan is the Director, UNC Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Gardens, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Ecology, Environment, and Energy Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. More about Dr. Weakley
1 hour 8 minutes long
State of Kentucky Plant Conservation and KNPS Updates.
Jen Koslow, Tara Littlefield, Nick Koenig, & Jeff Nelson Jen is an Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University specializing in plant ecology. Tara is the Rare Plant Program Manager & Botanist in the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, as well as the KNPS President. Nick is a student at EKU and KNPS Ladyslipper Associate Editor. Jeff is a KNPS Board member and a life long amateur naturalist.
30 minutes long
Inventory, Monitoring and Management of Rare Plants and Communities in State Nature Preserves and Natural Areas
Devin Rodgers Devin is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.
28 minutes long
Remnant Grasslands and Pollinator Habitat Along Kentucky’s Roadsides
Tony Romano Tony is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.
26 minutes long
Native Plant Propagation Projects
Emily Ellingson & Heidi Braunreiter Emily is the Curator and Native Plants Collection Manager at The Arboretum: State Botanical Garden and a KNPS Board member. Heidi is a Botanist with the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky State Nature Preserves and Vice President of KNPS.
29 minutes long
Exciting Kentucky Botanical Discoveries
Mason Brock & Tara Littlefield Mason is the Herbarium Collections Manager at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville Tennessee. Tara is the Rare Plant Program Manager & Botanist in the Plant Conservation Section of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and President of KNPS.
Kentucky Botanical Symposium and Membership Meeting
KNPS is having a virtual botanical symposium on Thursday, December 10th from 10am-2pm EST. For several years, KNPS has organized a botanical symposium in the fall with a goal of bringing together professionals, citizen scientists, academics, gardeners and students in order to learn about what’s going on in the world of Kentucky Botany. Despite the pandemic year, we thought it was important to continue this event, so please navigate this virtual world and join us to learn about all things botanical in Kentucky.
Topics that will be covered will include, but will not be limited to, KNPS updates, an overview of plant conservation in Kentucky, Kentucky’s roadside grassland and pollinator habitat program, conservation horticulture and native plant propagation, monitoring and managing rare plants and communities on State Nature Preserves, and exciting new Kentucky botanical discoveries.
Agenda
10:00-10:10 Welcome & Introduction
10:10-10:40 State of KY Plant Conservation and KNPS updates Jen Koslow, Tara Littlefield, Jeff Nelson, Susan Harkins and David Taylor
10:40-11:05 Inventory, Monitoring and Management of rare plants and communities in State Nature preserves and Natural areas Devin Rodgers (Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves)
11:05-11:10 Break
11:10-11:35 Roadside Native Plants Project Tony Romano (Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves) and panel
1:30-1:55 Exciting Kentucky Botanical Discoveries Mason Brock (Southeastern Grasslands Initiative/Austin Peay State University), Tara Littlefield (Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves)
1:55-2:00 Wrap-up
Keynote Speaker
We could not be more excited about our Keynote speaker Dr. Alan Weakley! Alan is a plant taxonomist and ecologist whose work in taxonomy and plant conservation has sparked a renaissance of botany in the southeast. Just after lunch, Alan will address Kentucky’s Botanical Community on interesting topics ranging from plant evolution and biogeography, to conservation, taxonomy and citizen science.
Alan Weakley, plant taxonomist, community ecologist and conservationist.
Alan Weakley is a plant taxonomist, community ecologist, and conservationist specializing in the Southeastern United States. He holds a B.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from Duke University. He has worked as botanist and ecologist for the N.C. Natural Heritage Program, and as regional and chief ecologist for The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe. He is currently Director of the UNC Herbarium, a department of the N.C. Botanical Garden, and teaches as adjunct faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and at the Highlands Biological Station.
Alan is author of the Flora of the Southeastern United States, and co-author (with Chris Ludwig and Johnny Townsend) of the Flora of Virginia, which has received five awards, including the Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation. He is also co-author (along with Laura Cotterman and Damon Waitt) of Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast.
He has also released an app, FloraQuest, co-developed with Michael Lee and Rudy Nash, covering the Southeastern United States flora. He has authored over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and is in high demand as a speaker on plant taxonomy, community classification and mapping, biogeography, and biodiversity conservation. He is active with the Flora of North America project and the United States National Vegetation Classification, serves as an advisor to the N.C. Natural Heritage Program and N.C. Plant Conservation Program, and is a co-founder of the Carolina Vegetation Survey. As a trustee and board member of public and private conservation granting agencies and foundations, he has helped oversee $400,000,000 of land conservation grants in the Southeastern United States.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line
with the advice of health officials to minimize exposure by limiting
gatherings, KNPS has decided to cancel our annual Wildflower Weekend
event at Natural Bridge State Resort Park that was
to be held April 3rd & 4th. Please note that
this step was not taken lightly. The Kentucky Native Plant Society board
made this decision out of a desire to protect the health and welfare of
our members and the community.
As an alternative to this cancelled event, we encourage our members to join
iNaturalist
if you haven’t already. It is a smartphone app and online platform for
recording observations of plants or any kind of organism you see
outdoors, and connects you to a
community of over 750,000 naturalists worldwide. Many of your fellow
native plant enthusiasts here in Kentucky have already been posting
spring ephemerals in bloom this year. Join our project
Kentucky Botanists Big Year 2020 to see all the plants observed in Kentucky in 2020. We will award prizes at the end of the year to the people
with the most observations, most observed species, and most identifications.
Not great at identifying plants? No worries! One of
the best benefits of iNaturalist for a ‘budding botanist’ is the aid of
identifying what you see in the field by suggesting species based on
photographs already posted, as well as connecting
you with experts who you can identify the organisms for you.
By interacting with your fellow native plant
enthusiasts through iNaturalist, you can maintain social distancing,
while still being able to get outdoors, clear your head, and enjoy the
beauties our Kentucky flora has to offer you! We will
be posting highlights of your exciting iNaturalist observations on our
Facebook and
Instagram pages as a way to stay connected with our members during this time of social isolation.
If you have questions about iNaturalist, check out their
instructional page or reach out to us!
KNPS’ 2020 Wildflower Weekend is scheduled for April 3 & 4. Presented each year in partnership with Natural Bridge State Resort Park. This event offers wildflower hikes Friday and Saturday, led by some of the best botanists in the state. These hikes will explore the region’s rich natural history and resources in the state park and the Red River Gorge. Hikes topics include wildflowers, ferns, woody plants, bryophytes, fire ecology, plant identification 101, and more.
Friday evening, there will be a social to meet your fellow native plant enthusiasts. Saturday morning, we will have a book signing for a recently published children’s book, Wake Up, Woods, with author Mike Homoya present for signing. Directly after the booking signing will be a kid’s creek walk. We are also offering an outdoor yoga class Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening, talks will be given in the Woodland Center. See PDF for a full schedule.
Our keynote speaker Saturday evening is Mike Homoya. Mike is a
recently retired botanist and plant ecologist who worked for the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program since 1982. He
discovered, inventoried, and assessed natural communities and surveyed
for rare species. He shared his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm
about plants by authoring several books, teaching at the collegiate
level, and serving as president of professional science associations.
His most recent publication is a children’s book titled Wake Up,
Woods. Mike will give a presentation Saturday evening on the rare plants
and natural communities along the Ohio River, from Cincinnati to the
Mississippi River. You will also hear from three of our student grant
recipients who will present on their graduate research projects.
This event is open to the public and kid-friendly. Registration is
on-site at the Hemlock Lodge in the lobby. Admission is $10.00 for
adults, $3.00 for ages 12-17, free for ages 12 & under. Discounted
KNPS memberships will be available.
Join us for this year’s Wildflower Weekend, April 3 & 4 in partnership with Natural Bridge State Resort Park. This event offers wildflower hikes Friday and Saturday, led by some of the best botanists in the state. These hikes will explore the region’s rich natural history and resources in the state park and the Red River Gorge. Hikes topics include wildflowers, ferns, woody plants, bryophytes, fire ecology, plant identification 101, and more.
Friday evening, there will be a social to meet your fellow native plant enthusiasts. Saturday morning, we will have a book signing for a recently published children’s book, Wake Up, Woods, with author Mike Homoya present for signing. Directly after the booking signing will be a kid’s creek walk. We are also offering an outdoor yoga class Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening, talks will be given in the Woodland Center. Click on the link below to see the full schedule.
Our keynote speaker Saturday evening is Mike Homoya. Mike is a recently retired botanist and plant ecologist who worked for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program since 1982. He discovered, inventoried, and assessed natural communities and surveyed for rare species. He shared his knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm about plants by authoring several books, teaching at the collegiate level, and serving as president of professional science associations.
His most recent publication is a children’s book titled Wake Up, Woods. Mike will give a presentation Saturday evening on the rare plants and natural communities along the Ohio River, from Cincinnati to the Mississippi River. You will also hear from three of our student grant recipients who will present on their graduate research projects.
This event is open to the public and kid-friendly. Registration is on-site at the Hemlock Lodge in the lobby. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $3.00 for ages 12-17, free for ages 12 & under. Discounted KNPS memberships will be available.
